Locating immigration/naturalization records

[kd1219]

I just started researching my family history a few months ago. I have found out that my great grandfather was from Sicily. I am trying to find out more about 'when' he came and if he was naturalized. The problem is that apparently his surname was changed and i have no way to find his records because i don't know what his original surname was.

My grandmother's name was Pocus. We have found her and her family on the 1880 census...... her father is listed as John Pocus, a barber born in Sicily, his parents born in Sicily.

The 1870 census does not have John Pocus....... but does have a Jno Pakase, a barber born in Italy, his parents born in Italy.

Cannot find a 1860 census with either name listed.

There is some evidence that he entered the US in Mobile AL in the 1850s, that he was a sailor and jumped ship (this was info from another distant relative so i don't know where that info came from). If he was a sailor and he jumped ship he wouldn't be listed as a passenger immigrating here.

I can not find a ship record for Mobile AL during that time..... and i don't know what name to look for on it because i don't think any of the spellings we have are Italian surnames.

Can you help? Where can i find passenger lists for ships entering Mobile (if he was a passenger)? Do you know if there are any Italian surnames that are similar to these surname spellings? If he was an Italian sailor how could i find out about that? Is there any way to check naturalization records when i don't know what his original surname was??

All help will be greatly appreciated!!!

[ptimber]

The nearest equivalents are PACHESI PACHECCI PACHESSI. Go to www.genealgoylookups.com/narchives.htm and senf form 81, 86 and form 82 which covers pre world war 1 USA military records, census information and passsenger arrival records into the USA. This should start you off at least. Peter

[kd1219]

Thank you so much!!!.... that is such a help to me as i had NO idea where to go from here.

[ptimber]

Get back when you have some responses. Peter

[CarolynMary]

Have you gone to the Ellis Island web site. Type in Ellis Island
register it free, go to search immigeration and type the name of the
person you are trying to fine, if you fine a name you want you can
search the manifest. Your family my have come in to New York.
I they came to New Orleans with only way you can see a census report
is thru the New Orleans or Jefferson Parish. I'm sure Baton Rouge
Library may have it.

[ptimber]

Dedar Carolyn mary: This is to advise you that he does not know the name of the person he is looking for nor does he have any particulars about him. Suyggesting Ellisisland is,at best, sophmoric since he does not know the name so who should he look for. DSecondly you can researech entries into New Orleans on Micorfilm at the Family History Library of the Mormon church since NARA rercords for New Orleans entries are avilable thru the library system. In that case like the CENSUS, you would need tyo know the name. Peter

[cb]

All I can tell you is that the census takers spelled the name as it sounded to them. Each one heard it a bit differently depending on his own nationality.

You can check for naturalization records several places, but will have to use thinking cap and try to come up with all the spelling variations for the SOUND of the name spelled in the census. And what is on the naturalization papers may be an Americanized spelling as well, since he would have been here at least 3 years before applying. I'm having a similar problem with PAZI. I've found about a dozen ways to spell it so far. And we're not sure if any of them are the way it was spelled in Italy.

The 1900 census should show if he was naturalized and perhaps a year. I got lucky and my Pazi's naturalization in Lafayette, Louisiana 1881 showed his exact date of birth and exact date and port of arrival. Unfortunately it only listed Tyrol as a place of birth and no city.

Keep digging

[ptimber]

Then go to the nearest New orleans publiuc library either at 219 Loyola avenue, N.O. 504-596-2610 for micorfilmM259 Passender list of vessels arriving at N.O. 1820-1902. You can also borrow the micorfilm from the American Genealogical Lending Library in Bountiful Utah 801-298-5358. The micorfilm shoujld show the ships manifest and his place of birth along with other data. Once you knwo the place of birth it will all fall into place. Peter